Press Release: 8/28/2026

North Attleborough Opioid Task Force Releases Progress Report

 

North Attleborough Town NewsPosted on August 26, 2026 

 

The Town of North Attleborough has released the North Attleborough Opioid Task Force Progress Report, providing residents with a comprehensive look at the Town’s efforts to address the impacts of the opioid crisis and how opioid settlement funds are being invested in the community. 

The report, which covers the Task Force’s work from October 2024 through June 2026, was presented to the Town Council on Aug. 24 and is now available to the public on the Town’s website. 

The North Attleborough Opioid Task Force was formed in October 2024 to identify and recommend community programs related to opioid use prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction and support those programs through opioid abatement funds. 

As the Task Force was established, North Attleborough also met with other municipalities to explore the challenges communities were facing, discuss potential solutions and identify opportunities to collaborate and coordinate regional responses to the opioid crisis. 

According to Town Manager Michael Borg, those early conversations prompted the Town to examine not only how it responded to opioid-related incidents, but how it could intervene earlier and potentially prevent future crises. 

“Our response to opioids was very reactive. We were doing things right of the event, after it happened,” Borg said. “What I put before the team was: How do we get left of the event? In the military, we call it ‘left of bang.’ How do we get ahead of the next event that might happen?” 

That shift toward a more proactive approach helped shape the Task Force’s work, with community input playing a central role in identifying where intervention and resources were needed. The Town conducted outreach with residents of sober homes, nonprofit organizations, treatment providers and other community stakeholders to better understand barriers to recovery. The Town also conducted an Opioid Community Impact Survey, which received responses from 236 residents. 

“Last year, the Town completed outreach to identify barriers to recovery from opioid use disorder,” Human Services Coordinator Stephen Berdos said. “We met with residents at sober homes, colleagues from nonprofits and treatment centers and other community stakeholders to get their perspectives. We also heard from many concerned parents and guardians who let us know how the Town should prioritize opioid abatement community programming.” 

That feedback has helped guide the Task Force’s investments and initiatives. The Progress Report highlights both the programs supported through opioid abatement funds and the results of that work, including: 

• Opioid Impact Fund Grant Program:The Town spent approximately$40,500 in FY2026through the program,providing assistance toindividualsimpactedby the opioid crisis as well as sober homes and community organizations.Assistanceincluded housing and moving costs, sober home rent, vehiclerepairsand safety improvements at recovery residences.


• Co-Response Mental Health Clinician:During the first three months included in the report, the program recorded109 co-response interactions, 47 crisis evaluations and 62 outreach services. The clinician helped divert25 individuals from emergency room visits and 11 from arrests,representingan estimated$147,234 in combined cost savings.


• Narcan Training:In partnership with the SAFE Coalition, the Town offered Narcan training opportunities for municipal employees, schoolstaffand the public.A total of 56 participantsattendedtrainingsincluded in the report, learning how to recognize an opioid overdose and administer the overdose-reversal medication.


• Youth Prevention and Education:Following community feedback calling foradditionalprevention services for students, opioid abatement funds supported several youth-focused initiatives. The Town invested$4,500 in theWhyTryprogramfor studentsages14 to 18,$3,200 for 2nd Act performancesat North Attleborough Middle School and High School and$7,900 for a peer mediation programat North Attleborough High School.


• Reducing Stigma Through Art and Storytelling:The Town invested approximately$5,553in a partnership with The Opioid Project and Health Story Collaborative. Through the initiative,six residentsimpactedby the opioid crisiscreated original artwork reflecting perspectives that included lived experience, first responders and frontline workers.


• Behavioral Health Resources:The Town continued funding the INTERFACE Referral Service to help connect residents with outpatient mental health and wellness resources.Twenty residents accessed the service between January and June 2026, according to the report.


• Community Engagement:The Town’s Opioid Community Impact Survey received236 responses, with59.23% of respondents selecting student intervention servicesas the initiative they most wanted to see offered in North Attleborough.

“Writing this report was my opportunity to show our community what their advocacy accomplished,” Berdos said. “The Opioid Task Force was given clear feedback on where the gaps in services were, and we worked on addressing those issues. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time due to strong collaborative partnerships with community stakeholders.” 

The report also provides residents with a financial overview of the Town’s use of opioid abatement funds. North Attleborough began receiving funds from opioid-related legal settlements in 2023 and is expected to continue receiving distributions through 2038. 

As of February 2025, the Town had received $735,000 in opioid abatement funds. The report states that North Attleborough is expected to receive approximately $1.72 million over the next 14 years, with an average annual distribution of approximately $122,627. Under the Massachusetts State Subdivision Agreement, opioid abatement funds must be used for projects related to prevention, treatment, recovery or harm reduction. 

The full North Attleborough Opioid Task Force Progress Report: October 2024–June 2026 is available on the Town’s website at northattleborough.gov/1018/Opioid-Task-Force.